It displays :

Local machine: installation failed
Installation:
Error: Action failed for file avg.snu: creating backup….
Error (Ox code here) %DESTINATION% = “C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avg.snu.install_backup_1″, %SOURCE% = “C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avg.snu”

I tried it again a couple of times and was faced with the same error.

I searched Google and zeroed in on just one solution.

I downloaded AVGremover and after downloading the 677 kb AVGremover application,  I scanned it for some nasties (you can never be sure, you know). The scan showed no nasties so I started the application and crossed my fingers.

It began its thing and prompted me for a computer restart to continue, of which I gladly obliged. The AVGremover app did a few of its thing after restart and boy, I’m glad that tool removed AVG Free from my computer.

Now, I can install and test another antivirus software. AVG Free didn’t find any viruses in my computer for a couple of months and I find it unusual.

Now, let me try avast!

]]> http://www.amfufu.com/2009/05/01/how-to-uninstall-avg-free-when-control-panel-uninstall-install-fails-and-an-avg-installation-error-is-displayed/feed/ http://www.amfufu.com/2009/05/01/how-to-uninstall-avg-free-when-control-panel-uninstall-install-fails-and-an-avg-installation-error-is-displayed/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/amfufufeed/~3/BNkgvwJ1MPA/ http://www.amfufu.com/2009/03/27/how-to-install-wordpress-in-cpanel/#comments Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:51:52 +0000 amfufu http://www.amfufu.com/?p=212 WordPress is a great CMS platform you can use in creating websites and blogs. There are two ways you can install WordPress in cPanel : using Fantastico and manually uploading and installing WordPress files. Here are the steps needed to install WordPress: Installing WordPress the easy way : Using Fantastico Login to cPanel. Under Software / Services, click [...]

WordPress is a great CMS platform you can use in creating websites and blogs. There are two ways you can install WordPress in cPanel : using Fantastico and manually uploading and installing WordPress files. Here are the steps needed to install WordPress:

Installing WordPress the easy way : Using Fantastico

1. Login to cPanel.
2. Under Software / Services, click Fantastico Deluxe.
3. On the Fantastico page, click WordPress.
4. Click New Installation. You will be taken to the first step of the installation process.
5. Select the domain where you would like to install WordPress. (Skip this part if  you have only one domain associated with your cPanel account, proceed to the next box.)
6. Type a directory name inside the box if you want WordPress to be installed in a subdirectory of your domain name. The outcome would be  : http://yourdomain/directory_name/ . Skip this part if you want to install Wordpress in the root directory (http://yourdomain/)
7. Under Admin Access Data, type in your Administrator username (you need this to enter the protected admin area so take note of this). In the next box, type in your password (you need this to enter the protected admin area, so also take note of this).
8. Under Base Configuration, type in your website details. (You can change this later in your WordPress Administration Panel)
9. Click Install Wordpress button.
10. Click Finish installation button.
11. Type in an email address where you want to send the installation details. This is very important ! In case you forgot your username and password or if you want to view important details of your WordPress installation, you can always check your email.
12. You can now login to your newly-installed WordPress and start customizing by adding themes and plugins.

The Not-So-Easy but Rewarding Way : Manually Installing WordPress

Prerequisites :

• Create a mySQL database. Have the database name, database user name and database password handy. You need that for the installation.
• Decide where you want to install WordPress
  • Root directory (http://yourdomain.com/)
  • In a subdomain : (http://blog/yourdomain.com/) Create a subdomain by clicking  SubDomain under Domains in cPanel.
  • In a subdirectory : (http://yourdomain.com/blog) Create a folder in the root directory and name it something like blog or myblog.
• Download WordPress.

The Manual Installation Steps:

1. Login to cPanel.
2. Click File Manager,  Click/Tick Web Root (public_html/www) and click Go button.
3. Locate the folder created earlier and open it by double clicking on it. Skip this if you want to install in the root directory.
4. Upload the downloaded WordPress compressed file by clicking Upload located in the File Manager “menu” above. A new window/tab would open.
5. Click Browse button and locate the WordPress compressed file you downloaded earlier. After the file is successfully uploaded, switch to the File Manager interface.
6. In File Manager, verify if the uploaded file is visible. If not, click Reload. Select the Wordpress file and click Extract.
7. After extracting, all the files would be inside a folder named WordPress. Open that WordPress folder and select all files by clicking Select All. Drag those files outside of the WordPress folder and drop them to the folder you created earlier on the left pane. Verify that all files are now outside of the WordPress folder and now reside inside the folder you created.
8. Rename wp-config-sample.php file to wp-config.php. by selecting it and clicking Rename.
9. Edit wp-config.php by selecting it and clicking Edit. A new window / tab would open. You now need the database name, database username, and database password for this process. After replacing the respective database information in wp-config.php, click Save Changes button. A full explanation on editing wp-config.php can be found here.
10. After editing wp-config.php, finalize your WordPress installation. Run the WordPress installation script by accessing wp-admin/install.php in your web browser.
    • If you installed WordPress in the root directory, you should visit: http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php
    • If you installed WordPress in a subdomain called blog, for example, you should visit: http://blog/yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php
    • If you installed WordPress in its own subdirectory called blog, for example, you should visit: http://yourdomain.com/blog/wp-admin/install.php
11. In the Wordpress Installation screen, type in the desired Blog Title and E-Mail address then click Install WordPress button. (All this information can be changed in the WordPress Administration Panel)
12. Finally, take note of the user name and the generated password, you need it to access your WordPress Administration Panel.

That’s it ! Your done! Now, get some cool theme and plugins to pimp your freshly installed Wordpress site. Good luck !

When you are manually installing a CMS (Content Management System) on your webhosting account, you need to create a database prior to the CMS installation and configuration. Here are the steps on how to create a database in cPanel.

1. Login to your cPanel account.
2. Click MySql Databases.
3. Under Create New Database heading, type in the name for your database inside the text box and click Create Database button.
   (Tip :  Make the name of your database relevant to the CMS application and name of your website so that you can easily identify the database. This is very helpful in the future when you need to add or create databases for different websites or CMS.)
4. After clicking Create Database button, it would take you to a page. Take note of the database name. Copy-Paste it in notepad or write it on a piece of paper. You will need it later. Click Go Back .
5. Scroll Down, you will see that your newly created database is added to the database list under Current Databases. Now you need to create a user for that newly created database.
6. Under MySQL Users, type in your desired username inside the Username textbox. Next, you need a password for that user.
7. Type in your desired password in the Password textbox and confirm the password in the next box. ( I prefer generating a random password. Click on Generate Password button. Click Use Password button. Copy-paste the password in the same notepad file you used earlier in copying the Database Name. Click Close. You will see that both password textboxes are automatically filled up.)
8. Click Create User button. A page will show you that the user with the associated password is created.  (Tip : It would be best to countercheck the displayed password and the password you copy-pasted earlier.) Click Go Back. Under Current Users, you would see that the newly created user is now listed. (Tip:  Copy-paste the whole user line, usually “prefixed” with your cpanel user account, to the same notepad file you used earlier.)  Now, you need to associate the user with the database.
9. Under Add User to Database, click on the first drop down list and select the User. Click on the second drop down list and select the database. Click Add button. It would take you to another page.
10. Click All Privileges to check all the box options. Click Make Changes button. A confirmation in the succeeding page would inform you that the user is added to the database. Click Go Back.
11. Under Current Database, you can verify that the user is now associated with the database you created.

Now, your database is ready to use. If you find this post helpful, please post a comment or reaction.

It is always a good idea to secure a backup for  your website files. If anything unexpected happens, you can always revert or restore everything back to normal.

Here’s how to do a full backup in cPanel:

1. Login to cPanel

   

2. Click Backups
3. Click ‘Download or Generate Full Website Backup’
4. In the next page, you can see lots of options. Backup Destination is the location on your server where the backup would be stored. Home Directory is okay. The displayed Email Address would be used to notify you once the backup is complete. Just accept the default settings and click Generate Backup.
5. Check your email for a notification informing you of the status of your backup.



Alternatively, you can check your root directory and look for a compressed backup (filename would be something like this : backup-2.10.2009_00-26-56_cpanelusername.tar.gz)



6. Once verified, check the box right next to it and click Download to save it on your computer. (Assuming you are in the File Manager window)

Good day readers!

Today, I signed in to my entrecard account and I received a message notifying me of an entrecard-related contest sponsored by Elusive Silence blogsite.

Interesting, I muttered to myself. Well, “interesting” since my previous entrecard account was deleted because of, possibly, my 7-8 month inactivity.
My accumulated ECs (Entrecard Credits), Favorited sites, contacts (Entrecard droppers), went down the drain together with my account. Sad and awful, yes, but I can’t blame Entrecard. I’d rather blame myself. I registered my entrecard account again and now I’m back to zero EC’s. Zero EC’s would mean, I have to do the “drops” to gain EC’s so I could “purchase” an ad in Entrecard-enabled websites. Winning this contest would mean a lot for my advertising campaign.

Before I delve into the details of the contest, let me first introduce you to Entrecard (for non-members only. Entrecard members could skip this part).

Direct link to Entrecard Website

From Entrecard mainpage:

Entrecard is a free blogging network that truly brings visitors to your blog. By joining our network, you can earn Entrecard credits which allows you to display an ad of your blog on other blog sites within our Network. Sign up today and see why tens of thousands of bloggers are using Entrecard!

What is Entrecard:

Details taken from Entrecard website

* Entrecard is a blogging network.
* You can drop your card to show other bloggers that you visited their site.
* Other sites can drop their card on your site too, and you can check them out.
* Entrecard uses a currency - Entrecard Credits (EC for short).
* You can use this currency to buy adverts on other sites.
* We also have forums that you can participate in.

How to place the Widget in your Blog:

How to place the widget (an excerpt taken from Entrecard website)

To place the widget on your blog, go to the “Get Code” tab. Select the widget you would like, copy the code, and paste it onto your blog. Most likely, this will involve adding a text widget to your blog in the layout setting, and pasting the code their. After the widget is placed, it will allow others to drop their card for you. It will also allow others to advertise on your widget by paying you credits.

More guides can be found by clicking Help button located at the upper right corner of the entrecard website.

What is Elusive Silence?

Elusive Silence is a blogsite powered by blogger.com. In general, this blogsite blogs about Music, Art, the Internet, and the author’s personal journals.

Here are the details of Elusive Silence’s contest:

The goodies for the winner :

1. A review about your blog at Elusive Silence
2. 2,500 Entrecard credits
3. $10 to be sent via PayPal

What you need to do :

1. Register an account at clixsense as Elusive Silence’s referral.
2. Post about this contest on your blog.
3. Leave a comment at Elusive Silence’s blog with the following details:
   1. the link of the post about this contest on your blog (for example: http://yoursite. com/2009/01/start-year-right.html)
   2. the username you used when you registered on the site indicated above (the clixsense username)
   3. your Entrecard profile link

The winner will be drawn on Valentine’s Day and will be posted on Elusive Silence’s blog on February 15.

This is a great Entrecard and Paypal opportunity. The chance to have your site reviewed at Elusive Silence blog :  amfufu !

Elusive Silence website is gone.. Who won ?! We would never know for sure.  Might be a scam or just a website popularity gimmick. LOL

SOMETHING FROM THE HEART

Give me something from the heart
A simple thing you can impart
A gift I’d cherish when by and by
We may not say our “Hi’s” and “Bye’s”

An ancient coin or aged stamp
Or book-dried rose once red and plump
Be given soon for me to keep
To while away when I can’t sleep.

It’s hard for you to be with me
If you’d agree, just let it be
We’ll follow each our destiny
The world is young as you can see

If you and I were meant to be
The vastness of the land and sea
The distance or melancholy
Is not a hindrance, you’ll soon see.

It’s hard for me, I understand
And hope is like a grain of sand
When life is cruel and all seems Hell
I’d think of you and all is well.

The pain inside may feel so huge
And tears may be my last refuge
What is done, can’t be undone
I have lost and he has won.

Although I urged you to be glad
It seems absurd but I’d be sad
The loneliness within my heart
Would manifest when were apart.

So give me something from the heart
A simple thing you can impart
A gift I’d cherish when by and by
We may not say our “Hi’s” and “Bye’s”.

The nicest thing you can impart
Is one dictated by your heart
A lovely poem to tease those tears
In the sunset of my lonesome years.

For even though this heart’s been taken
And borne me half a dozen children
A love that may, in time, forgotten
Would still live through and never ashen…

Give me something from the heart
A simple thing you can impart
Gift I’d cherish when by and by
We may not say our “Hi’s” and “Bye’s”

And someday with my whitened hair
As I sit upon my rocking chair
I’d read your poem and think of you
Then wonder what became of you.

What do you think of this poem ? Please leave a comment if you have anything to say about this poem or this post.

Thank you.

I casually check my website from time to time and on one occasion I was shocked when I found out that my website is defaced by some pranksters !
Luckily, I managed to save a backup copy of my website. I restored the backup and all is up and running like it’s supposed to.

Or at least I think.. There are more problems than meets the eye. I was again shocked when I cannot access the Dashboard links. And the following error shows up :

Not Found, Error 404
The page you are looking for no longer exists.

I get this error whenever I try to access the internal Wordpress links :

* Write * Manage * Design * Comments * Live * Security * Plugins

I can access my pre-published articles, no problem there. Only the Wordpress Dashboard links. That’s strange…

After asking around at WebtalkForums, I was informed of the possibility that my wp-admin folder is corrupted and that I need to upload a fresh copy of wp-admin folder and overwrite the existing wp-admin folder. I don’t know how it got corrupted but following the advice, I proceeded to download the whole WP 2.5.1 zip file and extracted and uploaded the wp-admin folder to my server.

After doing that, I logged in to my website and was glad that the issue was fixed.

I noticed an upgrade for the Wordpress Automatic Upgrade in the plugin list so I automatically upgraded the plugin as an initial step to my Wordpress upgrade.

Upgrading from Wordpress 2.5.1 to Wordpress 2.7 is quick and easy after that. No hassle, just pure contentment and satisfaction.

Here are some of the Wordpress Plugins I use :

• Akismet - a free and automated spam killer that you could use to protect your blogsite.
• Wordpress Automatic Upgrade - allows a user to automatically upgrade the wordpress installation to the latest one provided by wordpress.org using the 5 steps provided in the wordpress upgrade instructions.
• Platinum SEO Pack - Complete SEO solution for your Wordpress blog.
• Google XML Sitemaps - generates a XML-Sitemap compliant sitemap of your WordPress blog. This format is supported by Ask.com, Google, YAHOO and MSN Search.
• Dagon Design Sitemap Generator - This plugin creates a sitemap for your WordPress powered site. This is not just another XML sitemap plugin, but rather a true sitemap generator which is highly customizable from its own options page in the WordPress admin panel.
• WP Security Scan -Scans your WordPress installation for security vulnerabilities and suggests corrective actions.
  -passwords
  -file permissions
  -database security
  -version hiding
  -WordPress admin protection/security

If you are currently using any useful plugins, please take time to leave a comment regarding that plugin.

I have edited this article because the last time I visited Digg, the code changed. The new code is simpler and easier.

Here’s how to add a Digg code to your blog:

1. Create an account at Digg.
2. Your blog should be “Digg”ed or “Dugg” first before you can add the Digg code. (in my case, I Digg my article/blog first using an installed Sociable wordpress plugin)
3. After “Digg”ing your own article/blog, copy the the Digg URL for the article you submitted. (example: Digg URL for my latest article Internet Security Part 1: Firewall is : http://digg.com/security/Internet_Security_Part_1_Firewall )
4. Add the code below to your article/blog, replacing the URL with your own Digg URL.

Add the code below to your article/blog

<script type=”text/javascript”> digg_url = ‘WEBSITE_URL’; </script> <script src=”http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js” type=”text/javascript”></script>

Replace the WEBSITE_URL with the full URL of your article. Example : http://www.amfufu.com/2008/05/24/internet-security-part-1-firewall/

You should see something like the image below when you publish and view your article.

Cool eh? What are you waiting for ? Add Digg to your blogs! And return here to Digg this article.

Connecting to the Internet has many benefits and advantages. Much of what I have learned, I learned through Google and Internet searches. And it is true for most people, like you and me.

The fact, however, that your computer is connected to the Internet, makes it always at risk to intrusion and virus attacks. There are people who spend their time in looking for ways to gain access and attack other unsuspecting users. For your safety, you must always ensure that a firewall is running before going online.

Not implementing a firewall makes your computer-stored personal information, like bank account numbers, credit card data, tax information, and so on, accessible to attackers. Think of the firewall as a huge, tough-looking bouncer who stops anyone coming into your computer if they’re not on the guest list.

What is a Firewall?

Source: Wikipedia

A firewall is a device or set of devices configured to permit, deny, encrypt, or proxy all computer traffic between different security domains based upon a set of rules and other criteria.

What a firewall does:

Basically a firewall protects you and your computer data against a number of different online threats. A firewall protects you from hackers, “worms” that spread from computer to computer over the internet and outgoing traffic that might originate from a virus or a Trojan infection.

Source: Wikipedia

“A firewall is a dedicated appliance, or software running on another computer, which inspects network traffic passing through it, and denies or permits passage based on a set of rules.
A firewall’s basic task is to regulate some of the flow of traffic between computer networks of different trust levels. Typical examples are the Internet which is a zone with no trust and an internal network which is a zone of higher trust. A zone with an intermediate trust level, situated between the Internet and a trusted internal network, is often referred to as a “perimeter network” or Demilitarized zone (DMZ).

A firewall’s function within a network is similar to firewalls with fire doors in building construction. In the former case, it is used to prevent network intrusion to the private network. In the latter case, it is intended to contain and delay structural fire from spreading to adjacent structures.

Without proper configuration, a firewall can often become worthless. Standard security practices dictate a “default-deny” firewall ruleset, in which the only network connections which are allowed are the ones that have been explicitly allowed. Unfortunately, such a configuration requires detailed understanding of the network applications and endpoints required for the organization’s day-to-day operation. Many businesses lack such understanding, and therefore implement a “default-allow” ruleset, in which all traffic is allowed unless it has been specifically blocked. This configuration makes inadvertent network connections and system compromise much more likely.”

What a firewall DOESN’T do

A firewall, on its own is not enough to guarantee online security. Think of a firewall as your gate. It is your first line of defense before someone uninvited breaks in into your home.

A firewall provides minimal or zero protection:

• If you allowed or permitted other computers to connect to yours.
• If it the firewall is turned off or disabled
• Against spyware and adwares.
• If you or a virus has created a back door through the firewall
• If a hacker has the password for the firewall
• Against people with physical access to your computer or network.
• Against malicious traffic that does not travel through the firewall (example: a poorly configured wireless network)
• Against attacks after a network has been compromised.
• Against traffic that appears to be legitimate.
• Against spams and most viruses.
• If the firewall has many exceptions or open ports.
• Against any kind of fraud or criminal activity online.
• If you have no computer and/or internet connection

A firewall on its own is not enough for complete online security.

Different Types of Firewall

Desktop/Software firewall

A desktop/software firewall is installed on a computer or network. Windows Firewall is a basic example of a desktop/software firewall. It comes with every Windows XP (SP2 and up) and Windows Vista.

Advantages of a desktop/software firewall:

• Windows Firewall is free and included with Windows XP and Windows Vista
• Free software firewalls are available for private use.
• Commercial desktop firewalls often integrate well with other security products like virus scanners.
• Easy to set up – no wiring or extra hardware.
• If you use a laptop, a desktop firewall will protect you wherever you connect to the internet.

How to install a desktop firewall

Your choice of desktop firewall depends on whether or not you are running Windows XP or Vista and whether or not you want to buy a commercial firewall.

To turn on Windows Firewall in Windows Vista

1. Open Windows Firewall by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Security, and then clicking Windows Firewall.
2. Click Turn Windows Firewall on or off. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. Click On (recommended), and then click OK.

If you want the firewall to block everything, including the programs selected on the Exceptions tab, select the Block all incoming connections check box.

How to Verify if you have Windows XP, XP SP1, or SP2

You can check the version of Windows by opening the Control Panel and double-clicking on System. When the System control panel appears, under the word “System” it will tell you what operating system you are running.

Enable Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP or Windows XP SP1

To configure Internet Connection Firewall manually in Windows XP or Windows XP SP1:

1. Click Start, click Run, type control.exe netconnections, and then click OK.
2. Right-click the connection on which you would like to enable ICF, and then click Properties.
3. On the Advanced tab, click the box to select the option to Protect my computer or network.
4. If you want to enable the use of some applications and services through the firewall, you must enable them. To do this, click Settings, and then click to select the programs, protocols, and services that you want to enable for the ICF configuration.

Enable Windows Firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2

1. Click Start, click Run, type Firewall.cpl, and then click OK.
2. On the General tab, click On (recommended), and then click OK.

You can check if your firewall is operational by opening the Control Panel and double-clicking on Security Centre. A green light and the word ‘on’ should appear next to Firewall.

You can make sure that your firewall is operational by opening the Security Center in the Control Panel . A green light and the word ‘on’ should appear next to ‘Firewall’.

Hardware Firewall

Hardware firewalls are often built into broadband routers.

Advantages of a hardware firewall:

• Can protect all of the computers in a network.
• Doesn’t affect computer speed and performance since it doesn’t run on your PC.
• Can’t be easily disabled by malicious software, unlike software firewalls.

Disadvantages:

• May require in-depth technical knowledge and skill before configuration and customization.
• Hardware firewalls treat outgoing traffic from the local network as safe, which can be a hazard if malware, such as a worm, penetrates your network and attempts to connect to the Internet.

If you are planning to buy a router, it would be best to have one with firewall capability.

Commercial Firewall

A commercial firewall functions basically the same way as Windows Firewall. However, commercial firewalls generally provide extra protection and control. It’s also bundled with more information, guide, and help on how to configure it. Generally, commercial firewall manufacturers provide online help and technical assistance for its clients. Most security software companies sell a firewall as a standalone software package or as part of a security suite that includes other protection such as a virus scanner. Software updates and upgrades are provided by the manufacturer almost as soon as threats are discovered.

I will discuss more on Commercial Firewalls in the next article.

Back to the topic. I felt really bad how David performed that night. I must agree with the judges because David Cook didn’t perform quite well on that 3-song finale night. Compared with David Archuleta, David Cook’s performance was a little disappointing. I thought it’s just me but a lot of people in the internet have the same perception.

I love both Davids. They are really great singers. I just love Cook’s style more and I was hoping he would win. And he did ! I have overstated in my previous blog that David Archuleta would win because of his huge fan base. I was wrong. The 12 million vote margin says it all.

Here’s a good analysis by Lynn Elber how David Cook won the American Idol.